PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i9-12900H

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics 96EU, while Ryzen 5 7500F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7500F across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 43.9 vs 149.3 PassMark/$ ($617 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 7500F

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.3% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Costs $438 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅Delivers 240.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 149.3 vs 43.9 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (26,727 vs 27,079).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-12900H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i9-12900H

2022

Ryzen 5 7500F

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics 96EU, while Ryzen 5 7500F needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.3% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Costs $438 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅Delivers 240.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 149.3 vs 43.9 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7500F across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 43.9 vs 149.3 PassMark/$ ($617 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (26,727 vs 27,079).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-12900H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7500F better than Core i9-12900H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 7500F is ahead with a 25.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900H pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 7500F also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900H is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 7500F is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7500F is $438 cheaper on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $617 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-12900H is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.3% better PassMark. It is also 240.2% better value on MSRP (149.3 vs 43.9 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 7500F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB). That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i9-12900H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7500F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	267 FPS	246 FPS
medium	257 FPS	228 FPS
high	213 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	217 FPS
medium	197 FPS	182 FPS
high	159 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	151 FPS
medium	136 FPS	127 FPS
high	106 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	85 FPS

Open Core i9-12900H Open Ryzen 5 7500F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	633 FPS	516 FPS
medium	539 FPS	434 FPS
high	458 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	327 FPS
1440p
low	547 FPS	442 FPS
medium	486 FPS	384 FPS
high	414 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	283 FPS
4K
low	323 FPS	283 FPS
medium	291 FPS	250 FPS
high	277 FPS	233 FPS
ultra	243 FPS	203 FPS

Open Core i9-12900H Open Ryzen 5 7500F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	677 FPS	668 FPS
medium	616 FPS	668 FPS
high	545 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	677 FPS	668 FPS
medium	554 FPS	668 FPS
high	485 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	606 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	524 FPS
medium	416 FPS	452 FPS
high	373 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	314 FPS	323 FPS

Open Core i9-12900H Open Ryzen 5 7500F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	677 FPS	668 FPS
medium	677 FPS	668 FPS
high	677 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	604 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	677 FPS	668 FPS
medium	663 FPS	668 FPS
high	572 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	498 FPS	612 FPS
4K
low	525 FPS	668 FPS
medium	476 FPS	590 FPS
high	423 FPS	521 FPS
ultra	368 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i9-12900H Open Ryzen 5 7500F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900H and Ryzen 5 7500F

Core i9-12900H

The Core i9-12900H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,079 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 7500F

The Ryzen 5 7500F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 22 July 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,727 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-12900H packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7500F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-12900H has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-12900H versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7500F — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-12900H uses the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7500F uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900H scores 27,079 against the Ryzen 5 7500F's 26,727 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i9-12900H. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900H vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7500F.

Feature	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+133%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+48%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake-H (2022)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	27,079+1%	26,727
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,400	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,900	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900H uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 7500F uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
Socket	FCBGA1744	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core i9-12900H) / not specified (Ryzen 5 7500F). The Core i9-12900H includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe Graphics 96EU), while the Ryzen 5 7500F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-12900H targets Mobile.

Feature	Core i9-12900H	Ryzen 5 7500F
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Iris Xe Graphics 96EU	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	Yes	—
Target Use	Mobile	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900H launched at $617 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7500F debuted at $179. On MSRP ($617 vs $179), the Ryzen 5 7500F is $438 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900H delivers 43.9 pts/$ vs 149.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7500F — making the Ryzen 5 7500F the 109.1% better value option.